Rafael Arutyunyan and Ari Zakarian Behind Ilia Malinin’s Gold-Winning Olympic Run
- Feb 10
- 2 min read
At the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy, Ilia Malinin — working with Armenian coach Rafael Arutyunyan — helped Team USA win the gold medal in the figure skating team event. The United States finished with the highest score overall in the combination of men’s, women’s, pairs, and ice dance skating. Malinin’s strong performance in the men’s segment gave the U.S. the one extra point needed to secure the gold ahead of other countries.
Ilia Malinin, 21, is one of the best figure skaters in the world. He is the first skater to land a fully rotated quadruple axel in international competition and has been a world champion before the Olympics.
Malinin trains with a team of people who support his success. His main coaches are his parents, Tatiana Malinina and Roman Skorniakov, both of whom competed in the Olympics as skaters for Uzbekistan. He also works with Rafael Arutyunyan, a respected Armenian-American coach who has trained many top skaters over decades, including world champions. Arutyunyan has helped Malinin refine his technique and prepare for major competitions.
Rafael Arutyunyan began coaching in the Soviet system and later moved to the United States, where he worked with many elite skaters before joining Malinin’s training group.
In addition to his coaching team, Malinin is supported off the ice by his agent, Ari Zakarian. Zakarian works on Malinin’s business and public-profile matters, helping manage his career as the skater gains international attention during and beyond the Olympics.
Ilia Malinin’s gold-winning performance in the team event added to the United States’ success at the 2026 Games and showcased the work of his support team, including both coaching and management. With his parents, Rafael Arutyunyan, and Ari Zakarian by his side, Malinin remains one of the most watched figures in international skating this season.
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